Hank Reynolds
Liszt, Orpheus The story of Orpheus is tailor-made for musical adaptation. In the Greek myth, Orpheus charms all things with his music-making. And the tale of his descent into the underworld to rescue Eurydice is filled with drama and pathos. The arts have turned enthusiastically … Read more
Mahler, Urlicht Des Knaben Wunderhorn is a collection of German folk poems compiled and edited by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano. First published in 1805, it became a popular source of texts for German Romantic composers as the prevailing aesthetic shifted away from the … Read more
Copland, Danza de Jalisco Our Composer of the Month Series features Aaron Copland this month. Carol and I select composers for this series who are, of course, well known and beloved by us. Still, in presenting the materials, we “start from scratch” and spend a … Read more
Ysaye, Sonata No. 5, 2nd mov. “Danse Rustique” Eugène-Auguste Ysaye (1858-1931) became the most famous violinist of his day. He spent much of his career teaching at the Brussels Conservatory in his native Belgium and had a major influence on violin technique. He was close … Read more
Gottschalk, Souvenirs d’Andalousie During his lifetime, Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) was acknowledged as the preeminent American piano virtuoso and composer of music for piano. Born in New Orleans to a Jewish father and Creole mother, he absorbed numerous musical influences during his upbringing. He went … Read more
Wagner, Ride of the Valkyries You might think that performances of a work as popular as this would be easy to find. But I have my own criteria for what qualifies for this series, and it has taken a while to find something suitable. When … Read more
Messaien, Quartet for the End of Time (V. Louange à l’Éternité de Jésus) French-born Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) is one of the more eclectic composers of the 20th century. He incorporated serialism, complex rhythmic modes, Japanese and Indonesian influences, and birdsongs, but retained a strong sense … Read more
Sviridov, Snowstorm I came to know the music of Georgy Vasilyevich Sviridov (1915-1998) almost entirely through Professor Carol. One of her best lectures preceded a concert in the Van Cliburn Series by the late Russian singer Dmitri Hvorostovky. He was performing Sviridov’s song cycle Russia … Read more
Tosti, Tristezza The Neopolitan Song (Canzone napoletana) flourished from the mid 19th to early 20th century. While songs of this genre tended to be newly composed, they drew heavily on the folk traditions of Naples and the surrounding area. Highly melodic and passionate, they were … Read more
Bach, Christ lag in Todesbanden Your image of J.S. Bach is probably shaped by the portrait of an older man with a white wig. We don’t have many images of Bach as a young man, and the authenticity of the one here (left) is in … Read more